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(NEXSTAR) – Football is going foreign again during the upcoming NFL season with Germany preparing to host its first-ever regular-season game in 2022.
The NFL announced Wednesday that Munich and Frankfurt will host four games over four years. The partnership starts this year at FC Bayern Munich Stadium, aka Allianz Arena, home of the Bundesliga champions.
Two of the four games will be held in Munich and two will take place at Frankfurt Stadium, otherwise known ad Deutsche Bank Park.
Allianz Arena, which opened in 2005, has over 75,000 seats and is primarily used by FC Bayern Munich. It has also played host to the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2020 tournament matches. You can take a 360-degree tour of the stadium here.
FC Bayern Munich Stadium, Allianz Arena
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Spectators walk to the new soccer stadium Allianz Arena in Munich, southern Germany, Thursday, May 19, 2005.(AP Photo/Diether Endlicher) -
Spectators watch the illuminated new soccer stadium Allianz Arena in Munich, southern Germany, Thursday, May 19, 2005 at dusk. (AP Photo/Diether Endlicher) -
A general view into the new soccer stadium Allianz Arena in Munich, southern Germany, on Thursday, May 19, 2005. (AP Photo/Uwe Lein) -
A view, taken on Tuesday, May 3, 2005 shows the field and seats of the Allianz Arena, the new soccer stadium of Munich, southern Germany. (AP Photo/Diether Endlicher) -
Fans and spectators wave white and red flags during the inauguration of the soccer stadium Allianz Arena in Munich, southern Germany, Tuesday, May 31, 2005. (AP Photo/Diether Endlicher)
Frankfurt Stadium, otherwise known as Deutsche Bank Park, originally opened in 1925. The Frankfurt Galaxy, an American football team playing in the NFL Europa league, called the stadium home from 1991 to 2007.
Frankfurt Stadium, Deutsche Bank Park
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A general view of the Deutsche Bank Park stadium on September 19, 2020 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images) -
The Deutsche Bank Park, Waldstadion, in Frankfurt, Germany, is lit up in rainbow colors during the Euro 2020 soccer match between Germany and Hungary held in Munich on Wednesday June 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Probst) -
A general view during the Bundesliga match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund at Deutsche Bank Park on December 05, 2020 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images) -
A general view prior to the Bundesliga match between Eintracht Frankfurt and DSC Arminia Bielefeld at Deutsche Bank Park on January 21, 2022 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images) -
A general view prior to the Bundesliga match between Eintracht Frankfurt and DSC Arminia Bielefeld at Deutsche Bank Park on January 21, 2022 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
It’s unclear who will be playing these games in Munich and Frankfurt, but the NFL previously released a list of four teams – Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – that were granted access to Germany for marketing, fan engagement and commercialization.
Nine German cities initially expressed interest in hosting NFL games when the selection process began last year, according to the league. Three – Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich – were invited to participate in a full evaluation.
As part of their agreement, the NFL, Munich and Frankfurt commit to delivering fan engagement activities, community participation programs, and other initiatives.
During the 2022 season, five games will be played abroad, with one scheduled for Mexico and three in the United Kingdom.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are already scheduled to play one game at iconic Wembley Stadium, the home of English soccer. The two other games will be played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The NFL says that the teams and dates won’t be released until the full 2022 schedule comes out later this year. As part of the league’s new 17-game schedule, all teams will have to play at least one game abroad every eight years.
Six NFL executives head up the schedule-making process, according to the league’s operations site, and thousands of cloud-based computer models are used to find the schedule with the least travel and logistical obstacles. The NFL is working on expanding international venues to Canada, South America, and more European cities in the years ahead.
The NFL’s first game outside of the U.S. happened on October 2, 2005 in Mexico City, when the Arizona Cardinals beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-14 at Estadio Azteca, the home of the country’s national soccer team.
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